Department for Transport

Travel Restrictions: Coronavirus

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the reply byBaroness Vere of Norbiton on 15 June (HL Deb col 1767), what plans they have to compensate suppliers and customers, including in the air travel and holiday let sectors, who lost money because of changes to COVID-19 restrictions made at short notice which prevented delivery of the service without breaking the law.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Government recognises the challenging times the air transport and tourism, leisure and hospitality sectors have faced due to COVID-19. The industries have drawn on an unprecedented package of economic measures which we have put in place. We estimate that by the end of September 2021, the air transport sector (airlines, airports and related services) will have benefitted from approximately £7bn of Government support since the start of the pandemic. Over £25bn has been provided to the tourism, leisure and hospitality sectors, which includes holiday lets, in the form of grants, loans and tax breaks.Consumers are legally entitled to a refund within a reasonable time when operators cancel.

Ministry of Justice

Prisoners

Lord Bradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many prisoners with an Imprisonment for Public Protection sentence are waiting for a place on an offender behaviour programme, broken down by prison; and what is the average waiting time at each prison for a prisoner with an Imprisonment for Public Protection sentence to obtain a place on such a course.

Lord Wolfson of Tredegar: There are 161 prisoners with Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentences identified as currently waiting for an accredited offending behaviour or sexual offending programme. For the purposes of answering this question we have considered accredited offending behaviour programmes to be defined as both offending behaviour and sexual offending programmes. Substance misuse programmes are the responsibility of NHS commissioners and we do not hold this information.This table below shows each prison with IPP prisoners waiting to commence an accredited general, violence, domestic violence, or sexual offending programme based on information gathered from an April 2021 snapshot of data returns from prisons which run accredited offending behaviour programmes. The information has been drawn from local records and, as with any large-scale reporting tool, may be subject to inaccuracies as well as subject to change.The numbers presented reflect those who are fully assessed as suitable and identified as motivated and waiting for a place. The symbol ‘- ‘denotes suppressed values of 5 or fewer to avoid the risk of identifying individuals. PrisonOffending Behaviour ProgrammesSexual Offending ProgrammesAshfield 6Belmarsh_ Birmingham_ Buckley Hall_ Bullingdon _Bure _Channings Wood_ Dartmoor_8Dovegate_ Downview_ Elmley_ Erlestoke_ Forest Bank_ Frankland__Full Sutton_ Garth__Gartree_ Guys Marsh_ Highpoint_ Hindley_ Holme House_ Hull _IOW _Lancaster Farms_ Lewes_ Lindholme12 Littlehey_8Long Lartin_ Lowdham Grange_ Manchester_ Moorland_ New Hall_ Northumberland__Oakwood_ Parc_ Risley_ Rye Hill_6Stafford _Stocken_ Stoke Heath_ Swaleside_ Swinfen Hall_ The Mount_ Wakefield__Wayland_ Wealstun_ Whatton 7Whitemoor_ Woodhill_ Wymott__Grand Total10952 It has not been possible to provide the information requested in respect of average waiting time as it could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.The Government’s primary responsibility is to protect the public. Accredited programmes aim to protect the public and reduce reoffending and are part of a range of rehabilitation and risk reduction opportunities available. In recent years, there has been a reinvestment from shorter, moderate intensity programmes in favour of longer, higher intensity programmes. HM Prison and Probation Service remains committed to supporting the progression of those serving IPP and life sentences in custody, so that the Parole Board may direct their release, or as the case may be, re-release, as soon as it is safe to do so.

Ministry of Justice: Mothers

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Ministry of Justice, in any of its official (1) paperwork, (2) guidance, (3) instructions, (4) manuals, or (5) other documents, (a) has replaced, or (b) intends to replace, the word “mother” with the phrase “parent who has given birth”.

Lord Wolfson of Tredegar: As laid out in Hansard, 8 March 2007, Col. 146ws, in 2007, the then Government resolved to shift to gender-neutral drafting of legislation to avoid stereotypes that only men could hold positions of authority. Notwithstanding, Ministers believe it is entirely appropriate to continue to refer to sex in legislation where helpful for clarity or pertinent (for example, legislation relating to the health needs of women). In that light, we have not, nor do we intend to, replace the word ‘mother’ with the phrase ‘parent who has given birth' in Departmental paperwork, guidance, instructions, manuals or other documents.

Treasury

Small Businesses: Debts

Lord Allen of Kensington: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the level of personal debt of (1) entrepreneurs, and (2) company directors of small businesses, who have not been eligible for assistance through the CoronavirusJob Retention Scheme; and what assessment they have made of the proportion of such debt which has been used to keep businesses afloat.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) has helped to pay the wages of people in 11.5 million jobs across the country, and the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) has paid out £24.5 billion in grants to 2.8 million self-employed individuals. Both of these schemes were designed with two principles in mind. First, the need to target support at those who need it most. Second, the need to protect money against error, fraud and abuse, whilst reaching as many people as possible. The Government recognises that some of the eligibility criteria and conditions needed to ensure that the CJRS or SEISS work for the vast majority of people have meant that some may not qualify for them. Those ineligible for the SEISS or CJRS may still be eligible for other elements of the unprecedented financial support available, such as tax deferrals and billions in loans and business grants. The Government loan guarantee schemes (including the Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS)) have provided unprecedented support to businesses, with over 1.5 million loans worth over £75bn. Under BBLS no repayments are due from the borrower for the first 12 months of the loan, giving businesses the breathing space they need during this difficult time. In addition, the Government covers the first 12 months of interest payments charged to the business by the lender. To give businesses further support and flexibility in making their BBLS repayments, the Government has implemented the “Pay as You Grow” (PAYG) options. PAYG will give businesses the option to repay their BBLS facility over ten years. The Government has also made the full repayment holiday available to borrowers from the first repayment. Together, the 12-month payment holiday and interest-free period for borrowers, along with the PAYG options, provide a generous support package giving businesses the time to get back on their feet. Businesses concerned about repayment should contact their lender to discuss the options available to them.

Cryptocurrencies

Lord Lee of Trafford: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their response tothe research by the Financial Conduct Authority Cryptoasset consumer research 2021, published on 17 June, which estimates that 2.3 million people in the UK own cryptocurrencies and that 14 per cent of those borrowed money to invest in cryptocurrencies.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: The Government welcomes the FCA’s recent consumer research, which offers insights into the growth of the cryptoasset market in the UK over the past year. The Government is closely monitoring developments in the industry through the UK’s Cryptoassets Taskforce. HM Treasury and UK authorities have taken a series of actions to mitigate risks to stability and market integrity and prevent the use of cryptoassets in illicit activity. The Government launched a consultation on its regulatory approach to cryptoassets and stablecoins on 7 January. It also included a call for evidence on the use of Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) in financial markets. This set out the Government’s position that new innovations in the sector could deliver substantial benefits, but also present new challenges and risks. Last year, the Government issued a consultation on a proposal to bring certain cryptoassets, including Bitcoin, into the scope of financial promotions regulation. This would ensure that relevant cryptoasset promotions are held to the same high standards for fairness, clarity, and accuracy that pertain in the financial services industry. The Government will be publishing its response in due course. To further protect consumers, the FCA has banned the sale of cryptoasset derivatives to retail consumers, and alongside the Bank of England has issued consumer warnings stating that consumers who invest in cryptoassets should be prepared to lose their money. Alongside this, the Government launched a new anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing regime for cryptoassets in 2020.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Iraq: Turkey

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had, or plan to have, with the government of Turkey on their unilateral military operations in the Dohuk province of Iraq and, in particular, whether they raised, or intend to raise, in any such discussions the reports of (1) the bombing of civilian areas in Metina, Zap and Avashin, and (2) the use of white phosphorus weapons.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK has not made representations to Turkey following recent airstrikes in northern Iraq but we continue to follow the situation closely. We reiterate the importance of dialogue and cooperation between Iraq and Turkey to combat terrorism, ensure regional security, and protect civilians. We welcome recent discussions between Iraqi and Turkish Defence Ministers regarding Ankara's military operations against the PKK in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

Ministry of Defence

Patrol Craft

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to increase the size of the Royal Navy Overseas Patrol Squadron.

Baroness Goldie: The Royal Navy has no plans at present to expand the size of the Overseas Patrol Squadron once the fifth Batch 2 Offshore Patrol Vessel is declared in service later this summer.

Porton Down: Recruitment and Vacancies

Lord Lee of Trafford: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the reported staff shortages at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory at Porton Down; what steps they are taking to recruit to the 300 more staff requested by the interim chief executive; and what percentage increase in staffing that figure would represent.

Baroness Goldie: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is investing £6.6 billion in research and development over the next four years, and this includes an additional £1.1 billion specifically for science and technology and pull through activities. It's part of the government's announcement 'to sustain strategic advantage through S&T' in the recent Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy. Dstl is using a number of routes to attract diverse talent with apprenticeships, bespoke targeted advertising, schemes for mid-career returners to science, and a focused offer to graduates. Dstl will be seeking to attract niche skills and scarce talents through a network of 'Centres of Excellence', the first being in Newcastle. Dstl's Full Time Equivalent number of people is 4,357. An additional 300 represents an increase of 6.9 per cent.

Department for Work and Pensions

Social Security Benefits: Disability

Lord Young of Cookham: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much money in benefits was disbursed by the Department for Work and Pensions through the appointee system in the last year for which figures are available.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: Information about the amount of benefit paid to appointees is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Local Housing Allowance

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to ensure that the Local Housing Allowance is returned to the 30th percentile and brought into line with average rents in any given geographical area.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: The Secretary of State reviews the Local Housing Allowance rates annually. Housing support for private renters was increased significantly in April 2020 and Local Housing Allowance rates have been maintained at the same cash level for 2021/22, ensuring that all claimants who benefitted from the increased levels of housing support will continue to do so.

Kickstart Scheme

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many young people (1) have been, and (2) are currently, on the Kick Start scheme, broken down by age.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: An initial assessment of a sample of the first 20,000 claimants who started a Kickstart job placement from the commencement of the scheme up to 6th May 2021 found the age range noted in the table below. The Department will be monitoring and evaluating the Kickstart scheme throughout its implementation, and will continue to evaluate the longer term outcomes for Kickstart participants after they have completed their six month job placements. This will include an examination of the demographic make-up of participants, including age. Age at Kickstart job placement start% share of all startersUnder 18less than 1%187%1912%2011%2114%2219%2319%2416%25less than 1% The above table shows a small number of claimants were over 25 when they began their Kickstart job. This is as a result of some participants applying when aged 24 but turning 25 by the time their role began.   Although care is taken when processing and analysing Kickstart applications, referrals and starts, the data collected might be subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system which has been developed quickly. The management information presented here has not been subjected to the usual standard of quality assurance associated with official statistics, but is provided in the interests of transparency. Work is ongoing to improve the quality of information available for the programme.

Kickstart Scheme

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many employers are involved in the Kick Start scheme.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: As of 16th June 2021, The Department has approved Kickstart applications for over 6,000 employers. This includes employers who applied directly to the Kickstart Scheme and employers who applied via a gateway. Although care is taken when processing and analysing Kickstart applications, referrals and starts, the data collected might be subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system, which has been developed quickly. The management information presented here has not been subjected to the usual standard of quality assurance associated with official statistics, but is provided in the interests of transparency. Work is ongoing to improve the quality of information available for the programme.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Fisheries: Territorial Waters

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many ships are used by (1) the Marine Management Organisation, and (2) Marine Scotland, to enforce fishery rules in United Kingdom waters, broken down by type of vessel.

Lord Benyon: Fisheries protection is a devolved matter. Nonetheless, Defra, the Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive continue to work together to share information and ensure a coordinated approach to monitoring, compliance and enforcement across UK waters. In England, the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has significantly increased its maritime surveillance assets dedicated to fisheries protection. This includes two offshore MMO patrol vessels for at-sea surveillance, supplemented by up to 15 vessels from the Royal Navy Overseas Patrol Squadron and Inshore Fisheries Conservation Authorities.

Poultry: Australia

Baroness Hayman of Ullock: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the use of unenriched hen cages in Australia, (2) how such cages comply with British standards, and (3) whether eggs and egg products from hens caged this way will qualify for zero import tariffs under the in-principle Free Trade Agreement agreed on 15 June.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The Government is committed to scrutiny of animal welfare considerations in FTAs through a range of measures, including relative animal welfare standards. This includes standards and industry practices for Australian egg production. Conventional (“battery”) cages for laying hens have been banned in the UK since 2012. The Free Trade Agreement will contain a commitment to an Animal Welfare Working Group to provide a forum for ongoing cooperation and initiatives in areas of mutual interest, to review animal welfare developments and to promote high animal welfare practices. The UK tariff treatment for pigs, poultry and eggs from Australia is not yet determined.

Cabinet Office

Access to Information Central Clearing House: Freedom of Information

Lord Stunell: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many Freedom of Information requests were considered by the Cabinet Office's Clearing House in each of the last ten years; and how many of these were (1) answered in full, (2) answered in part, and (3) refused, broken down by the statutory grounds for refusal.

Lord True: The Clearing House function does not have full time members of staff, and its work is done by a small team of people in the FOI team, including the Deputy Director of Freedom of Information and Transparency, alongside their other day to day responsibilities. There is no separate budget for the Clearing House. The Cabinet Office does not routinely capture data on the number of requests which are referred to the Clearing House. However, in 2020, Clearing House gave advice on 516 aggregated ‘round robins’ (requests made to more than one department and that have repeat characteristics); a small proportion of over 30,000 requests received by government departments in the same time period. The Cabinet Office has referred requests to the Clearing House where appropriate and in line with the published criteria, which is available on gov.uk here - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cabinet-office-and-freedom-of-information.Information on Freedom of Information statistics is also published on gov.uk here - https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/government-foi-statistics.

Department for International Trade

Department for International Trade: Mothers

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Department for International Trade, in any of its official (1) paperwork, (2) guidance, (3) instructions, (4) manuals, or (5) other documents, (a) has replaced, or (b) intends to replace, the word “mother” with the phrase “parent who has given birth”.

Lord Grimstone of Boscobel: The Department for International Trade is committed to ensuring HR policies and guidance are inclusive and regularly undertakes internal policy reviews to keep our policies up to date and compliant with statutory legislation and best practice. The department is satisfied that its HR policies are consistent with this commitment and there are currently no plans to replace the word ‘’mother’ with the phrase “parent who has given birth” to our HR policies. The department will continue to monitor any developments or changes in legislation.

Trade Agreements: Australia

Lord Grantchester: To ask Her Majesty's Government ho many non-disclosure agreementsandpersonal confidentiality agreements have the Department for International Trade signed with stakeholders in relation to negotiations and the final text of the Australia-UK Free Trade Agreement.

Lord Grimstone of Boscobel: 502 stakeholders have signed confidentiality agreements with the Department for International Trade to facilitate detailed discussions about trade negotiations. As yet, there is no final UK-Australia Free Trade Agreement text to share with stakeholders.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Musicians: EU Countries

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Let the Music Move Campaign regarding the (1) restrictions, (2) costs, and (3) delays, for touring musicians arising from the settlement reached in the UK–EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement; and what assessment they have made of the statement by Sir Elton John on 10 June that the UK music industry could lose “a generation of talent” due to those restrictions.

Baroness Barran: The UK’s creative industries are the finest in the world and this government is determined to support them, including young and emerging artists. UK performers and artists are of course still able to tour and perform in the EU, and vice versa. However, we understand the concerns about the new arrangements and we are working with the creative and cultural sectors to help them get to grips with the changes to systems and processes.As the Secretary of State has said, we have moved at pace and with urgency, and have provided much greater clarity about the current position. This includes through the DCMS-led working group, whose membership includes the Featured Artists Coalition, the Music Managers Forum, LIVE, UK Music and other bodies organising the Let the Music Move Campaign. The group has discussed the issues faced by the sector, has worked to provide clarity regarding the practical steps that need to be taken by touring professionals when touring the EU, and has explored further steps as to how these sectors can be supported to work and tour in the EU with confidence.Through bilateral engagement with EU Member States, we have established that at least 17 out of 27 Member States, including France and Germany, allow some visa and permit free touring. We are now engaging with those Member States that do not have any visa or permit free touring to encourage them to adopt a more flexible approach in line with the UK’s own rules, which allow creative professionals to tour easily here.